Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade

Abstract Scaling up CO2 removal is crucial to achieve net-zero targets and limit global warming. To engage with publics and ensure a social licence to deploy large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR), better understanding of public perceptions of these technologies is necessary. Here, we analyse atte...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tim Repke, Finn Müller-Hansen, Emily Cox, Jan C. Minx
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01914-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846121734815612928
author Tim Repke
Finn Müller-Hansen
Emily Cox
Jan C. Minx
author_facet Tim Repke
Finn Müller-Hansen
Emily Cox
Jan C. Minx
author_sort Tim Repke
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Scaling up CO2 removal is crucial to achieve net-zero targets and limit global warming. To engage with publics and ensure a social licence to deploy large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR), better understanding of public perceptions of these technologies is necessary. Here, we analyse attention and sentiments towards ten CDR methods using Twitter data from 2010 to 2022. Attention towards CDR has grown exponentially, particularly in recent years. Overall, the discourse on CDR has become more positive, except for BECCS. Conventional CDR methods are the most discussed and receive more positive sentiments. Various types of users engage with CDR on Twitter to different degrees: While users posting little about CDR pay more attention to methods with biological sinks, frequently engaged users focus more on novel CDR methods. Our results complement survey studies by showing how awareness grows and perceptions change over time.
format Article
id doaj-art-989f05792e5a4830b82288e4b221b57b
institution Kabale University
issn 2662-4435
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Communications Earth & Environment
spelling doaj-art-989f05792e5a4830b82288e4b221b57b2024-12-15T12:12:57ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-12-015111110.1038/s43247-024-01914-6Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decadeTim Repke0Finn Müller-Hansen1Emily Cox2Jan C. Minx3Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), EUREF Campus 19Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), EUREF Campus 19University of Oxford, School of Geography and the EnvironmentMercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), EUREF Campus 19Abstract Scaling up CO2 removal is crucial to achieve net-zero targets and limit global warming. To engage with publics and ensure a social licence to deploy large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR), better understanding of public perceptions of these technologies is necessary. Here, we analyse attention and sentiments towards ten CDR methods using Twitter data from 2010 to 2022. Attention towards CDR has grown exponentially, particularly in recent years. Overall, the discourse on CDR has become more positive, except for BECCS. Conventional CDR methods are the most discussed and receive more positive sentiments. Various types of users engage with CDR on Twitter to different degrees: While users posting little about CDR pay more attention to methods with biological sinks, frequently engaged users focus more on novel CDR methods. Our results complement survey studies by showing how awareness grows and perceptions change over time.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01914-6
spellingShingle Tim Repke
Finn Müller-Hansen
Emily Cox
Jan C. Minx
Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade
Communications Earth & Environment
title Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade
title_full Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade
title_fullStr Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade
title_full_unstemmed Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade
title_short Attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade
title_sort attention and positive sentiments towards carbon dioxide removal have grown on social media over the past decade
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01914-6
work_keys_str_mv AT timrepke attentionandpositivesentimentstowardscarbondioxideremovalhavegrownonsocialmediaoverthepastdecade
AT finnmullerhansen attentionandpositivesentimentstowardscarbondioxideremovalhavegrownonsocialmediaoverthepastdecade
AT emilycox attentionandpositivesentimentstowardscarbondioxideremovalhavegrownonsocialmediaoverthepastdecade
AT jancminx attentionandpositivesentimentstowardscarbondioxideremovalhavegrownonsocialmediaoverthepastdecade